Parker asserts himself with backcourt in flux

By Jeff McDonald :
March 12, 2012
: Updated: March 12, 2012 11:53pm

San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker (9) loses control of the ball as he is surrounded by three Washington Wizards under the basket during a NBA basketball game between the Washington Wizards and the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas on March 12, 2012.
John Albright / Special to the Express-News. (San Antonio Express-News)

The Spurs' day began in the oddest of ways, with an impromptu retirement ceremony after Monday morning's shootaround.

It ended in a manner that has become all too familiar for them this season, with Manu Ginobili's recalcitrant body keeping him off the floor in the second half, and Tony Parker taking over.

Parker scored 20 of his 31 points after Ginobili left with leg tightness in the middle of the third quarter, as the Spurs pummeled hapless Washington 112-97 at the AT&T Center.

“He got it done for us tonight, as he has all year,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said after Parker's sixth game of 30-plus points since Feb. 4. “We've ridden him all year, and he came out as usual.”

Parker's dominance ended an eventful day for the Spurs' backcourt.

In the morning, backup T.J. Ford — who has a well-chronicled history of spinal problems — announced his early retirement after suffering a neck stinger five nights earlier.

“I don't think it's in my best interest to continue to jeopardize my life as I've done my whole entire NBA career,” said Ford, in his eighth pro season after starring in college at Texas.

Ford's teammates supported the decision.

“When you have a wife and kids, basketball becomes small,” Parker said. “There's other parts of life.”

Hours after Ford's retirement, Popovich announced a long-expected promotion of another guard, sending Ginobili back to the starting lineup for the first time since Jan. 2.

Ginobili scored eight points to go with seven assists, then headed to the locker room with 6:50 left in the third quarter as his legs seized up. He returned to the bench a few minutes later smiling and spent much of the fourth quarter stretching on the baseline, but never went back in the game.

Ginobili received treatment after the game and could not update reporters on his condition.

With Ginobili again out of commission, Parker performed as he had for most of the 27 other games his Argentine running mate has missed this season.

Parker, who returned to action after missing Friday's loss to the Clippers with a strained thigh, scored eight straight points in a 102-second span of the third quarter after Washington had climbed within eight.

“Obviously, he is a tough cover, and I understand that, but we just allowed him to get to the rim time after time,” said Wizards coach Randy Wittman, who at times looked as if he wanted to join Ford in retirement.

The Spurs (27-13) built an 18-point lead during a first half that was as good for them offensively as it was bad defensively for the Wizards (9-31).

Running the pick-and-roll as if it were a new invention that hadn't yet debuted in Washington, the Spurs assisted on 23 of their first 28 field goals.

By halftime, the Spurs had scored 44 points in the paint, 18 from 3-point range, one from the foul line and zero from anyplace else. They hadn't scored on any mid-range jumpers because they didn't need to.